Jockey's Neck
This page from the campaign maps of Rochambeau's French forces depicts
their 38th camp, the joint debarkation encampment of French and American
forces at Archer's Hope on College Creek (formerly Archer's Hope Creek)
on 25 September 1781. From here they proceeded to join with Washington
at Williamsburg and then to march on Yorktown.
The triangular island lying in the creek immediately before the encampment
is that patented by William Marable in 1715:
WILLIAM MARABLE, 13 acs. (N.L.) Jas. City Co.; being a triangular
Island, environed with Archer's Hope Cr; opposite to mouth of the S'ly
br. of said Cr., that bounds Mr. Marable's Jockey's Neck Land. 16
Aug. 1715, p. 237. Imp. of Henry Rogers.
The Jockey's Neck land is that adjacent to the island to the northwest,
patented by George Marable in 1699:
GEORGE MARABLE, Gent., 135 acs., James City Co., in Jockies Neck,
26 Oct. 1699, p. 240, Escheated from John Wright, by inquisition under
Bartho. Fowler, Depty. Esch'r to Philip Lightfoot, Esqr., Esch'r. Genr'.,
&c.
In another of the peculiar coincidences one occasionally encounters in
such matters, the 35th camp of the French forces shown at the top of the
same page was at Spurrier's Tavern outside Baltimore, 16 September 1781.
William the Innkeeper, proprietor of Spurrier's Tavern, is thought to be
the fourth son of Thomas Spurrier (born 1703, Maryland), my wife's fifth
great grandfather!
Archer's
Hope Creek
This is a view of Archer's Hope Creek (now College Creek), from near the
site of the joint French and American debarkation encampment of 25 September
1781, to the east, across the 13-acre trangular island patented by William
Marable in 1715. Jockey's Neck, patented by William's father,George Marable,
in 1699, is to the left, out of the photograph.
